Spanish is the easiest language to learn, even easier than English. I took Spanish in High School and the teacher explained why this is. Our language has a lot of words that sound the same but mean different things, words that are spelled differently and sound the same. It can be extremely confusing for children and even many adults. This is not the case with Spanish. Also, the letters of the alphabet each have their own sound and are always pronounced that way, as opposed to English where we have long and short vowels; hard and soft consonants. The younger a child is when they learn a second language, the better able they are to learn a third or fourth language. Since Spanish is a Romance language it is a gateway to other languages, such as Italian or Portuguese. Learning Spanish can also help children to understand the origins of words, which in turn can teach them to do better in other classes, like History and English! If you are interested in helping your child to remember and retain the new language more easily I can highly recommend a book by Harry Lorayne called "The Memory Book: The Classic Guide to Improving Your Memory at Work, at School, and at Play". My High School Earth Science teacher used this book for six weeks at the beginning of the school year to help us all improve our grades. It has a section on Foreign and English Languages which helped me to retain more of what I learned that year, not only in Spanish, but in English as well. I hope this helps you make your decision.

Here just minutes from the border the question was a no brainer, Spanish. My youngest daughter was bilingual from time of starting to talk. My youngest son does not have a strong connection with Spanish speakers. At just 2.5 he is bilingual with his, mother's native tongue, Vietnamese. I do not think just picking a language works. I think the language pretty much has to pick the child. If there is not a strong support group for that language, it is going to be rough.

My Children learned the basics of Portuguese from their mothers occasional use of it with them in Baby Talk etc... But when they arived in Brazil and found themselves immersed in the language at around 3rd - 5th grade age, they then became fluent in only about six months... Well.. fluent for kids of that age anyway.

That having been said I would recommend Spanish. (Not Portuguese) Mainly because in the USA there is a much greater need for Spanish than most other languages. A secondary reason for the choice of Spanish is that it forms a foundation for all of the Latin Based Languages. Your Child might be only so so in Spanish now.. and later in life need to learn French, Italian or Portuguese and at that time they would find it very easy to learn one of the sister languages due to the Foundation that you have laid in that childs memory with the Spanish (Latin) Language...

I think it depends on which country this 5th grader is in and the ultimate purpose for desiring to learn another language. If it is USA, I think the most favorable language would be Spanish. There are several jobs here in USA that pays more for those with bilingual (English & Spanish) capabilities. So for this student to be competitive latter in life, it might be a brilliant idea to start learning Spanish. I am also trying to figure out if you are asking from a perspective of a teacher or as a parent. As a parent and as a foreigner in America, Spanish may not be that beneficial for my children when we go back to our homeland. So in that case, I would rather teach them Kiswahili which is the common language uniting all Kenyans.

Spanish, although ask the student what his/her interests are. These days Arabic and Mandarin Chinese are quite popular as well. If s/he is interested in living in the USA then I would recommend Spanish. If s/he is interested in living abroad perhaps Arabic or Mandarin depending on the field s/he wishes to pursue as a profession.

Another option is to choose two languages that are quite different from each other and s/he could study them simultaneously. The USA doesn't usually promote languages but every other country does. Being bi or trilingual will certainly help when it's time to get a job!

I think you should consider a number of factors, including ease of learning, cultural interest, and utility. European languages are much easier for English speakers to learn than languages from other language families. Cultural interest depends on heritage, personality and how one feels about the place where the language is most commonly spoken. Utility depends on whether your child is likely to be managing farm workers, or negotiating international trade deals once he or she grows up.Personally, I like Mandarin, because it is completely different than English and presents more of a challenge, my personality is compatible with Chinese culture, I find China fascinating, and Mandarin is more likely to be useful in my profession than say Russian or Spanish.

Do you speak another language? Is there one that you want to learn in the future?I'm a native English speaker, but I speak Portuguese rather fluently, since I've spent the past year and a half in Brazil. I used to study French and Spanish in high school, but I've forgotten quite a lot. If possible,...

Did you grow up learning three languages at the same time? My children 6 and 3 are learning English-Spanish and French at the same time. They seem to be coping very well but I would like to hear about people who has done the same.

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